The present invention relates broadly to building materials used in new construction. More particularly the invention relates to an apparatus and process for making a laminate that provides an air and moisture barrier for framed structures by sealing the vertical and horizontal interface surfaces between a sill plate and a foundation wall.
Many structures are constructed having a concrete foundation on which the bottom plate or xe2x80x98sill platexe2x80x99 of a framed floor or wall rests. A substantial amount of energy loss, heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer, occurs at the interface between the top of the foundation and the sill plate. Building codes generally require some sort of sill sealer be placed between the top of the foundation wall and the sill plate to reduce these energy losses. Often, the sill sealer is a thin layer of polyethylene foam that lays on top of the foundation wall prior to placement of the sill plate on top of the sill sealer. This thin layer of foam creates a gasket-type seal between the foundation wall and sill plate once the structure is completed.
Existing gasket-type sill sealers do not have the ability to conform to the irregularities present on the top of typical foundation walls, especially if the foundation wall is rough, uneven, or has one or more low spots. Gasket-type sill sealers do not generally conform to these irregularities; accordingly, these spots tend to be xe2x80x98bridged over,xe2x80x99 leaving a void between the sealer and the foundation wall. Additionally, if the foundation wall shrinks and/or expands after the structure is completed, additional voids between the sealer and the foundation wall may be created. Voids between the sealer and the foundation allow a considerable amount of energy to be lost from the structure, water to infiltrate to the interior surface of the structure, and provide a passageway for insects and rodents to enter the structure.
In view of the foregoing, it is the principal objective of the present invention to provide an improved air and moisture barrier for use between a foundation wall and a sill plate.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an air and moisture barrier that conforms to irregularities of a foundation wall.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an additional barrier outside of a structure to help further seal the interface between a foundation wall and sill plate.
In accordance with the above objectives, the inventor of the present invention has recognized that existing sill sealers often lay on top of the foundation wall prior to assembly and are prone to shift during construction such that in some places there may be no sealer between the foundation wall and sill plate. In turn, the inventor has recognized the desirability of providing a sill sealer which adheres to rough/uneven surfaces of a foundation wall allowing it to better conform to the foundation wall. Finally, the inventor recognized that, by providing an additional barrier on the outside of a structure, any voids left by a gasket-type sealer between a foundation wall and sill plate may be effectively sealed.
The above objectives are achieved by the present invention which provides for an air and moisture barrier laminate for sealing the interface between a sill plate and a foundation wall. The moisture barrier assembly comprises a compressible spacer layer for compression between a foundation wall and a sill plate, and an adhesive layer interconnected to a face of the compressible spacer layer, which is selectably adherable to the foundation wall. As will be appreciated, the laminate will generally be adhered to the foundation wall such that a surface of the spacer layer is exposed to receive the sill plate upon assembly. In one preferred embodiment, the laminate""s adhesive layer may be covered with a release sheet layer that may be peeled away from the adhesive layer to expose an adhesive surface prior to application of the laminate to the foundation wall. In a further preferred embodiment, the adhesive layer will comprise a membrane which may have adhesive and/or waterproof characteristics as will be more fully described below.
In one embodiment, the adhesive layer comprises a membrane having a top surface interconnected with the spacer layer and a bottom adhesive surface for selective attachment to the foundation wall. In this regard, the membrane""s bottom adhesive surface may be disposed in a face to face relationship with the top of the foundation wall. In a further embodiment, this membrane may also contain a second portion not interconnected to the spacer layer. Upon application, this second portion may extend beyond the outside edge of the foundation wall such that it may be folded over and attached to a side surface of the foundation wall. In this embodiment, the laminate may further comprise a second waterproof membrane attached to the second portion. This second membrane may further comprise an adhesive surface for selective connection to a side surface of the sill plate. Preferably, both membranes"" adhesive surfaces are covered with a release sheet prior to attachment. As will be appreciated, upon application, the laminate of this embodiment generally comprises a cross-sectional shape of a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d wherein the spacer layer forms the T""s leg between the sill plate and foundation wall and the first membrane""s second portion and second membrane form the top of the T on the side surfaces of the sill plate and foundation wall. As will be appreciated, upon erection of a structure, this moisture barrier laminate provides a gasket-type seal compressed between the top of the foundation wall and the sill plate and a continuous membrane extending between the sill plate side surface to the foundation wall side surface, thus providing a second layer of protection at the structure""s interface.
The laminate""s spacer layer comprises a compressible material that preferably has a generally uniform thickness and material characteristics which allow the spacer layer to be both securely adhered to a surface of an adhesive layer and conform to uneven surfaces. As will be appreciated, the assembly may utilize spacer materials having different thicknesses for different applications. For example, in instances where very rough or uneven surfaces need to be sealed, a relatively thick spacer material (e.g., 1 inch) may be used as larger irregularities may be expected. In contrast, where relatively smooth surfaces need to be sealed, a thinner spacer material (e.g., xe2x85x9c inch) may be used. The spacer material will generally be elastically deformable when compressed between the sill plate and foundation wall such that the spacer material conforms to and fills the spaces or xe2x80x98voidsxe2x80x99 therebetween. In this regard, the spacer material acts as a gasket between the top of the foundation wall and the generally smooth bottom surface of the sill plate. By way of example, the spacer material may be comprised of a commercially available fiberglass, cellulose or polymer foam insulation, although other material and/or combinations of materials, are also acceptable. Suitable polymer foams include polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyurethane. Closed cell polyethylene foams are particularly well suited for the present invention.
By having the spacer material layer interconnected directly to an adhesive layer, the spacer material may be adhered to a desired surface, such as the top of a foundation wall. This arrangement may allow for the spacer material to expand and contract with the desired surface and thus, prevent voids from forming between the spacer material and the surface. Additionally, in the case where the spacer material attached to an adhesive layer is adhered to an uneven surface of a foundation wall, the spacer may be adhered to low spots and adhesively seal around irregularities on the foundation wall surface, thus preventing voids between the foundation wall and the spacer material.
In the embodiments where the membrane(s) is/are utilized, each membrane will generally comprise a plurality of layers. These layers may include, inter alia, a base layer of sheet-like material such as, paper, fabric, synthetic foam, film, or a strong inert reinforcement layer able to withstand puncture and severe stress such as a polyester mesh, and one or more adhesive layers that may be covered by some sort of release sheet. Preferably, the membrane(s) will contain an adhesive bitumen layer on one or both faces of the base sheet/reinforcement layer which may impart both waterproof and self-adhesive properties to the membranes. These adhesive bitumen layers are preferably protected by a release sheet which may be made of waxed paper, plastic or any other suitable covering which may be peeled from the adhesive bitumen layer at the time of application.
The first membrane will generally comprise top surface and a bottom adhesive surface for interconnection with the foundation wall. As noted, the adhesive surface may be formed using a separate bitumen containing layer which may be laminated on some sort of base/reinforcement layer. The compressible spacer material may be interconnected to the top surface such that the lateral edges of the spacer and membrane are aligned. In the embodiment where a second membrane is utilized, the spacer material will be of a width less than that of the first membrane such that a portion across the width of the first membrane is covered with the spacer material and a second portion across the width of the first membrane contains no spacer material. This second portion of the membrane""s top surface may be interconnected with the second membrane. The first membrane may be oriented on a foundation wall such that a portion of the bottom adhesive side, which is covered on the top surface by the spacer material, sets on the top surface of the foundation wall and a second portion of the first membrane extends over the outside edge of the foundation wall. When so positioned, the second portion may be folded over such that it may be adhered to a side surface of the foundation wall.
The second membrane, which contains at least a first adhesive surface, is typically interconnected to the second portion of the first membrane and is therefore oriented such that it is not compressed between the sill plate and foundation wall upon assembly. In one embodiment, a first section of the second membrane may be interconnected to the second portion of the first membrane""s top surface (i.e., on the same side as the spacer material). The spacer material and second membrane may be disposed such that they cover the entire width of the first membrane""s top surface or such that a space exists between where the spacer material attaches and where the second membrane attaches. When the second portion of the first membrane is attached to the side surface of the foundation wall a section of the second membrane is attachable to the side of the sill plate upon erection of the structure. In one embodiment, the second membrane""s second portion comprises a self-adhesive material (e.g., bituminous layer) covered by a peel-away release sheet. In this embodiment, the other side of the second membrane will generally be exposed to the elements, accordingly, this exposed side may comprise a plastic base sheet or some sort of resilient and/or decorative coating.
In accordance with the above objectives, a method is provided for installing an air and moisture barrier laminate for sealing the interface between a sill plate and a foundation wall. The method comprises the steps of providing an air and moisture barrier laminate that comprises a compressible spacer layer for compression between the top of a foundation and the bottom of a sill plate and an adhesive layer interconnected to the spacer layer for selectively interconnecting the laminate to the foundation wall. The laminate may be located such that the adhesive layer and the spacer layer are located on the top surface of the foundation Wall. More particularly, the laminate may be oriented such that the adhesive layer is disposed in a face to face relationship with the top surface of the foundation wall. The step of locating the laminate on to the foundation wall may further include the step of removing a release sheet from the adhesive layer such that an adhesive surface is exposed. This release sheet may be removed before or after the air and moisture barrier laminate is positioned on the top surface of the foundation wall. Once the laminate is located with the adhesive surface exposed, the laminate is pressed onto the foundation wall top surface to securely adhere the spacer layer thereto. Next, the sill plate of a framed floor/wall is placed on top of the spacer layer, such that the spacer layer is disposed between the sill plate and foundation wall. As will be appreciated, since the air and moisture barrier laminate is adhered to the top of the foundation wall, the laminate is resistant to movement during erection of the sill plate on top of the laminate; therefore, the gasket-type seal between the sill plate and the foundation wall will stay positioned during construction.
An apparatus for producing the above noted embodiments of the air and moisture barrier laminate is also provided. That is, a machine for laminating at least one membrane adapted for attachment to a foundation wall to a spacer material of a predetermined thickness for compression between the foundation wall and a sill plate erected thereon. Further, this machine may be used laminate a second membrane onto a portion of the first membrane, wherein this second membrane is adapted for attachment to a sill plate. As will be appreciated, this two membrane laminate forms the generally T-shaped air and moisture barrier laminate described above.
The apparatus comprises first and second cylindrical rollers mounted along their longitudinal axes in a parallel opposed relationship. These rollers are operative to rotate in a cooperative manner such that when one roller turns the other roller may turn in the opposite direction to compress materials therebetween. In this regard, one side of the rollers will form a pinch or inlet xe2x80x9cnipxe2x80x9d into which materials are drawn for compression. Accordingly, the apparatus contains means, such as a variable speed electrical motor, to turn at least one of these rollers. The apparatus further comprises a first holder for holding a length of a first membrane having a surface adapted for securement to the foundation wall. A second holder is utilized to hold a length of spacer material having a predetermined thickness for compression between a foundation wall and sill plate when the air and moisture barrier laminate is in use. Finally, the apparatus contains a third holder for use, when desired, to hold a length of a second membrane having a portion adapted for securement to the sill plate when the laminate assembly is utilized. As will be appreciated, the first second and third holders are in a spaced relationship with one other as well as the first and second rollers to allow materials contained thereon to be received at the inlet nip defined by the rollers. That is, the first membrane, spacer material, and if utilized, the second membrane are oriented so they may be drawn into the inlet between the rollers in a desired orientation relative to one another. The compressive force applied by the rollers laminates the various materials together to produce the air and moisture barrier laminate.
Generally, each the first and second membrane will comprise at least one surface coated by a bitumen containing material that will provide adhesive and waterproofing qualities to that surface. Prior to being received at the inlet nip for compression into the laminate structure, these adhesive bitumen containing surfaces may be covered with peel-away release sheets. In order to laminate the membranes and spacer together, at least a portion of these release sheets is generally removed from one adhesive surface of each membrane. For example, the first membrane will generally comprise a double sided adhesive membrane that may initially be covered on both surfaces with a release sheet. In order to laminate the spacer material and the second membrane onto first and second portions across the width of this first membrane, the entire release sheet covering one adhesive surface may require removal. In this regard, a means for removing the release sheet, such as take-up roll, may be utilized to separate the release sheet from the first membrane""s surface prior to that membrane entering the inlet nip. Alternatively, it may be desirable to remove only a portion of a release sheet from its adhesive surface. In this regard, the apparatus may further comprise a cutter for selectively cutting the release sheet a predetermined distance from the longitudinal edge of the membrane on which it is adhered. The cutter, such as a blade or sharp point, may be disposed such that it scores or cuts through the release sheet but does not structurally damage the membrane underneath. Accordingly, the cutter may also contain an adjuster for adjusting the depth of the cut. Again a take-up roll for removing the desired section of the release paper may be utilized that is operable to xe2x80x98wind-upxe2x80x99 the removed section of paper at a rate that is equal to the rate the membranes move in the lamination process. Regardless of whether a portion or all the release sheet is removed, the removal means will be disposed between the holders and the inlet nip of the rollers.
Preferably, the holders are sized to receive and hold their respective materials in the roll form that may be axially mounted. Still more preferably, these holders are operative to hold materials of varying widths allowing laminate structures having differently sized components to be produced. For example, the first membrane may have a width of, for example, four to twelve inches depending on its desired use. That is, in cases where the first membrane is only utilized to attach a compressive spacer material to the top surface of a foundation wall, a narrower membrane, e.g., four inches to accommodate a standard 2xc3x974 sill plate, may be utilized. Alternatively, where the first membrane attaches to the top and side surfaces of the foundation wall, a wider membrane may be utilized allowing for this membrane to extend entirely across the top surface of the foundation wall (e.g., eight inches) and fold a predetermined distance over the side surface of the foundation wall (e.g., 4 inches). Likewise, the width of the spacer material may vary upon application but will generally have a width between 2 and 8 inches and more preferably between 3.5 to 5.5 inches to accommodate standard lumber widths utilized in frame construction. The second membrane may also be chosen to satisfy a particular end use, generally, this membrane will be between about 3 and 8 inches in width.
As noted above, the first and second rollers apply a predetermined compressive force to the materials as they pass between these rollers. To adjust this predetermined force, one of the rollers may be mounted to allow selective movement relative to the other roller. This movement adjusts the distance between and, therefore, the compressive force applied by the rollers to a laminate of predetermined thickness passing therethrough. For example, the first roller may be mounted a predetermined distance from the second roller and held in that position with a predetermined force. If the laminate passing through the rollers applies a force greater than this predetermined holding force to the adjustable roller, this roller may xe2x80x9cgivexe2x80x9d (i.e., move slightly away) until the desired compressive force between the rollers is restored. Generally, the rollers are mounted a predetermined distance from one another less than the thickness of the laminate so a compressive force may be applied across the surface of the laminate as it passes through the rollers. Additionally, one of the rollers may have a varying diameter along its length such that a different compressive force may be applied along the width of a laminate passing through the rollers. For example, a roller with a first diameter on a first section and a second, larger diameter on a second section may be operable to provide a greater compressive force to a portion of a laminate passing through the second section and a lesser compressive force on the portion passing through the first section. Alternatively, the, the xe2x80x9ctwo-diameterxe2x80x9d roller may apply a nearly uniform compressive force across a laminate having two thicknesses across its width.
In another aspect of the present invention, a process is provided for producing air and moisture barrier laminate for sealing the interface between a sill plate and a foundation wall. The process comprises the steps of providing a first membrane having a first adhesive surface sized for interconnection to a foundation wall; providing a spacer material for compression between a foundation wall and a sill plate; and providing a second membrane with a first adhesive surface sized for interconnection to a portion of the first membrane and a sill plate. The spacer material and a portion of the second membrane are contacted to first and second portions across the width of the first membrane""s second surface, which is also, preferably, an adhesive surface. Finally, a compressive force is applied to the materials to continuously laminate a length of the materials together in the desired orientation. Preferably, this process is performed using an apparatus that utilizes compressive rollers to apply the compressive force to the materials.
The first and second membranes may have one or two release sheets covering their adhesive surface(s). In this regard, the step of providing may further comprise removing part or all of these release sheets to expose the adhesive surfaces for contacting and lamination purposes. For example, the entire release sheet may be removed from the first membrane""s second surface to provide an adhesive surface for contacting the spacer material and second membrane. In addition, to increase bonding, the portion of the second membrane contacting the first membrane may also be an exposed adhesive surface from which a portion of a release sheet was removed.